Always needed
- Valid passport
- NBI clearance
- Birth certificate (PSA)
- Recent photographs
- Résumé or CV listing real work history
Applicant Process Guide
Five steps. No shortcuts. No surprises.
This is the whole journey, written the way we actually run it – including the parts that take longer than anyone would like. Read it before you apply anywhere, with any agency.
The process in one paragraph
The short answerTo work abroad through a licensed Philippine agency you complete five stages: submit an application and pass pre-screening, take a trade test against the employer's requirements, complete documentation and government processing, attend orientation and briefing, then travel with departure assistance. Timelines depend on the employer, the destination country, and government processing.
Before you start
Get these ready first.
Nothing below is unusual, and no legitimate agency will ask you to pay to be told what the requirements are.
Depending on the role and destination
- Trade or technical certificates (TESDA or equivalent)
- Professional licence, for regulated professions
- Certificates of employment from previous employers
- Medical examination at a DMW-accredited clinic
- Training certificates required by the destination country
Screenshot this list before you queue for documents – it fits on one screen.
The five steps
The process, start to airport.
Apply and pre-screening
Submit your application online or at the West Avenue office. We check your documents and experience against live job orders, contact your references, and tell you which roles you are a realistic fit for. If you are not a fit for anything currently open, we will say so rather than keep your file warm.
What you do
Submit your documents and answer honestly about your experience.
What we do
Evaluate, reference-check, and match you against approved job orders.
Trade test and evaluation
A skills assessment built from the employer's actual requirements – not a generic exam. Depending on the role this may include a practical test, a technical interview, or an employer interview conducted online.
What you do
Attend the test or interview, and bring your certificates.
What we do
Schedule it, brief you on what the employer is looking for, and give you the result either way.
Documentation and government processing
Once you are selected, we process your papers with you: contract, medical, government requirements, and the employer's own documentation, through to visa processing by the destination country.
What you do
Complete your medical, sign nothing you have not read, keep copies of everything.
What we do
File, follow up, and tell you where your file sits.
This is the slow part
This is the stage most people find slow. Medical results, employer approvals, and government and embassy processing each run on their own schedules, and no agency controls them.
Orientation and briefing
Your contract explained in plain language – salary as stated on the approved job order, working hours, accommodation, deductions, leave, and what to do if something goes wrong abroad. Bring your questions and your family's questions.
What you do
Attend, ask everything, take notes.
What we do
Explain the contract, cover country and cultural briefing, and give you our direct contacts.
Departure and arrival
Reminders in the days before you travel, travel coordination, and airport assistance on the day. You will have named FINAS contacts saved on your phone before you fly.
What you do
Arrive early and carry your documents in hand luggage.
What we do
Coordinate travel, meet you at the airport, and confirm you arrived.
Timing and cost
The two questions everybody asks.
“How long will it take?”
Honestly: it depends, and any agency that gives you a fixed number before you have a job order is guessing or selling. The stages we control – pre-screening, trade testing, documentation – move as fast as your documents allow. The stages nobody controls are employer approvals, medical results, and embassy or government processing.
We tell you where your file sits at every stage – which is the part you can actually hold us to.
“How much will it cost?”
Fees are limited to what DMW regulations allow for your destination and job order, and they are explained to you in writing before you commit to anything. Some destinations and categories do not permit placement fees at all.
You will never be asked to pay to be interviewed, to “reserve a slot”, or to have your CV forwarded.
Fee structure copy pending client and compliance sign-off – no figures appear in this mock-up.
Direct hire vs agency hire
Should you go direct instead?
Direct hire
Arranging employment abroad without a licensed agency. It is legal only through a narrow, DMW-regulated route with its own documentation and clearance requirements.
Through a licensed agency
The job order, the contract, and the deployment all sit inside a regulated system, with somebody accountable in the Philippines if something goes wrong.
FAQ
Asked every day. Answered honestly.
How do I know a recruitment agency is legitimate?
Ask for the licence number and check it on dmw.gov.ph. FINAS operates under licence DMW-705-LB-03262026-R, valid to 7 September 2031. Also check that the office address matches the licence, and never pay before a real job order exists.
What documents do I need to apply?
A valid passport, NBI clearance, PSA birth certificate, photographs, and a résumé covering real work history. Role-specific certificates, professional licences, and a medical at a DMW-accredited clinic follow once you are matched to a job order.
Do I need experience?
It depends on the job order. Some roles require documented years of experience, others accept trade-tested skills or entry-level candidates. The requirements on each job posting come from the employer's approved order.
When do I take the medical examination?
After you are matched to a job order, at a DMW-accredited clinic. Not before.
What happens if I have a problem after deployment?
Contact your assigned FINAS officer directly – you will have their number from orientation. Serious welfare concerns can also be raised with the Philippine embassy or Migrant Workers Office in your destination country.
Next step
Ready when you are.
Every opening on the jobs page comes from an approved employer job order. If you would rather ask a question first, asking costs nothing.